Mom and Zombie Slayer

Chapter 1

I went back in the living room and opened the tv, Moira still on the line.

The State Governor Reggie Lepage was on all the channels. He looked very serious, his eyes looking straight ahead of him, unwilling to meet the lens of the camera. I had seen the man in other occasion, during press conferences and I have even seen him in person once. Despite being a large man, he always looked healthy and he always had a good humor. But not today. He looked as if he had not showered in days.

"Citizens of our great state of Maine. This is an emergency broadcast. It is with great horror that I am here today. Unknown to the world, a few days ago, a deadly virus was released after an unexpected explosion in an illegal laboratory in Detroit. According to the information we have, the information we were able to get from the CDC, this virus is transmissible by blood exchange." Governor Lepage stopped at that moment to wipe the beads of transpiration that had appeared on his forehead. When he lifted his hand to do so, me, and everybody else watching this broadcast, saw that his suit jacket had huge aureoles of sweat under his armpits. For some reason, this little detail got to me. I sat down on my couch, the first couch I was able to buy on my own after John, my husband left me.

Governor Lepage started to talk again as Elliott had started to pull on my ponytail. I was starting to be worried by what I was hearing and I let the baby grab my hair as he wanted because there was no question I was letting him go.

"According to the latest reports we were able to get, it seems that once you have been bitten, anywhere on your body, you will..." he stopped and with shaking hands, he took a sip of his water before continuing," your heart is going to stop beating, most likely from an infection. You will stay that way, for a short while, that could last from one day to five. And then... And then it seems like you would wake up. Upon your awakening, you will not be who you were before. You will become dangerous. Your tastes will have changed. You will be a danger to society.. For that reason, you will become a threat and police officers and the army have strict orders and will have to dispose of you."

"Are you saying that we can all be transformed in Zombies?" asked a journalist, obviously in dismay.

" The dead are raising!" screamed another one.

"Annie? Annie? Are you there? " I heard Moira calling my name and at that moment, I just couldn't answer her so I hung up the line.

I slowly put the Elliott on the floor with his toys while I ran back to the front door and fought with the locks I had just put on a few minutes ago. I had to talk to that crazy old man. Did he knew something about that announcement?

I finally opened the door and forgetting all of my manners, I yelled at him.

"Hey! you! Old man! Come here right now!"

He got out the car and quickly came to me, his comb-over flapping on the top of his head. My next door neighbour got out to check who was yelling like that. I smiled at her and waved, showing her that everything was okay and she retreated back quickly. She obviously wasn't listening to the TV or the radio, otherwise, her reactions would have been totally different.

The old man was now at my door, breathing heavily.

"What's this all about, Old man?" My mom would have been ashamed to hear me that like that to an elderly.

"Are you ready to go now, Ms. Walter? I just got confirmation that they were getting close."

"But who is getting close?" I was really starting to lose my patience.

"Who is coming ? You keep telling me that they are coming, but I am not sure what you are talking about!" I looked in the baby's direction and was relieved to see that he didn't even pay attention to us. He was playing with his toys, totally unaware of what was happening.

"Ms. Walter, don't tell me you haven't watch the news?" His voice was very calm.

"Yes, I watched TV, but I still don't understand what is happening. Zombies? Here, in Maine?"

"Yes, Ms. Walter, here in Maine. It shouldn't take long before your neighbours starts to panic and then, getting out of here will become hard and practically impossible. We have to leave now."

I started to hear people screaming outside. I quickly looked by the window and I saw Mrs. Balsi, my other next-door neighbour packing her car while the front door neighbours were fighting, hitting each other with closed fists. It took that to convince me.

"OK, I'll go with you if you tell me who sent you."

"I'd rather not, Ms. Walker. Let's go make your luggage. Pack light."

"Listen Mr...," I stopped, realizing that I didn't even knew how to call Old man.

"My name is Mr. Parker, Ms. Walter. Please, go back your bags."

I crossed my arms, making sure he was going to understand that I standing my ground and would not move until he tells me who had sent him. The flies were back and I could hear them buzz in my ears. It was very distracting.

"He told me that you would react this way."

I started to tap my feet on the floor. It wasn't not for show either. I was growing impatient.

"Your husband sent me. John sent me."